[ravnostic]

Why, did you lose one recently? 🙂

[ravnostic]

Early Bs. If I post them now, I force myself to commit to the three I’ve chosen instead, right? Just let me go with it–the agony of choosing is killing me.

http://fossilspringsaz.com/pics/2011/mar/09/starbs.html

[ravnostic]

Remembered this one, and I’ll likely enter it, but I’m willing to be out classed: There’s a star in my apple. I’ll be surprised if I’m the only one who knows that.

Knew, had forgotten! And very often, simplicity pays in votes.

I could have saved me $18 at the botanical garden, had I thunk it…

[ravnostic]

olavf wrote:

Getting the moon AND stars in the same shot is going to require some serious HDR… typical stars at mag 2, say, in the field with the moon at something like mag -10. It’s a huge difference in brightness.

Not necessarily 😀
http://www.follandfamily.com/TF/farktography/110309.stars/eclipse-6939_sm_web.JPG
(I’ve got one other I’m considering but haven’t PP’d yet. Fewer background stars but better moon – shorter exposure)

Very true! I’ll grant it presents challenges–but on the other hand, it’s doable to one degree or another, depending. This one has the moon at 5.45% full, very near the Pleiades cluster, of which you can see to about 7th magnitude (including SAO 76350 right next to the lit side of the moon, at 6.19 magnitude, tops–it’s a variable, could be dimmer). One I’m considering, but it’s probably going to wind up a ‘b’ with the influx of today’s shooting:

//not happy with the chrom. ab…Canon Rebel xTi with Tamron 300mm, f 5/6, iso 400, 2 second exposure. April 26, 2009 8pm from Phoenix. Took others at longer exposures, but it just blew the moon’s lit portion out more. Like the earthglow, though. I could tweek it brighter, but then it just brings out the noise.

[ravnostic]

Well I’ve narrowed my choices–and it doesn’t look very terrestrial at all! Who’da thunk? (In truth I have far many more astro shots from which to wittle). Having won at the casino’s today AND also having the day off, I think I’ll spend the afternoon at some local ‘parks’ and see if I can better my now-b’d terrestrial candidates.

[ravnostic]

I nearly cried when I found out my dad sold the ’57 Olds station wagon we rebuilt together. Parting sucks. He still has the ’55 Holiday 98 (88?) he inherited from his grandmother, though, which I also helped on the re-rebuild. I’ve taken pictures, but haven’t found the contest in which to fit them, yet.

[ravnostic]

I suppose there is quite a bit of noise in here – but without a stacked comparison next to it the noise isn’t too bothersome to my eye.

ISO 250, 25 minute exposure, Peleng Fisheye with manual aperture – I forget what I set it at. On a frozen river in Mopsy’s front yard. Appx 10 degrees F. Canon 5D Mk II.

http://www.ullepics.com/d/1920-4/Startrails_4273.jpg

more noticeable noise at 1400 x 1400 – http://www.ullepics.com/d/1925-3/Startrails_4273.jpg

I’ll use one from this series.

There’s not too much noise in that shot, but you can spot it easily in the larger version (hot pixels; show up as ‘stars’ that don’t move). Usually, resizing down takes care of them, and ‘long exposure noise reduction’ does wonders for an initial shot.

And damn–if you’re allowing stacking, I’m doomed. But I’ll roll with it.

[ravnostic]

…thermal noise… I could google that but I’ll just ask a question instead. Would a long exposure (say 30 minutes) at zero Fahrenheit have less noise that a similar exposure at 70 F?

Considerably, yes. Either, however, would have a good deal of noise.

FWIW, I won’t be doing any stacking, as I have continually delayed my wedge mount purchase, and it’s a must for stackable images. I am toying with my selections, though, and may be going all astral after all (which I’m sure I’ll regret).

I really need to correct that situation.

[ravnostic]

I’m of the opinion that if I minded people’s use of my images as desktops, I’d not link to larger versions. But that’s just me. I haven’t sold anything yet. 😉

Question on the OBO thing–how and when does the stats manager fix that? Or do they?

[ravnostic]

I love this theme–it’s going to be difficult to get pictures as I’m usually not my camera-whore self around family.

Do these need to be ‘portraiture’ shots as per se, or would more casual images of family be acceptable as well (for example, the family gathered informally around the pool, the game table, the piano, whatever)?

[ravnostic]

My dear husband has been unemployed for quite a while but recently landed a pretty good position for himself. Instead of sending me an email or text saying “I have a job offer” he sends me “Go ahead and order the macro lens today.” Love him. I ordered the 85 mm that I tried out a few weeks ago. I really dig it. Our local mall had an orchid sale / show this weekend. Below are a few shots I took with the new lens.

Congrats on your husbands new-found opportunity–having been through the unemployment scenario, I know how good that must feel!

Technically, after a year of hard work and low take-home paychecks, my investments into the stock purchase plans have paid off and I can afford a REAL macro lens of my own now. But by the same token, I’ve learned to live on a meager take-home wage, and am going to pay off my last remaining debt (truck) before I go hog-wild into lens shopping. The OT I’m working toward that end is killing me (12 hour days, 5 days and sometimes 6 a week), but I gave myself till August to pay it off, and it’s looking like May will be the time frame I’ll actually do so, without needing to resort to using my stocks. My long-mentioned wedge mount for my scope is first thereafter, then I’ll look at getting a ‘real’ macro.

//I did buy a real Canon 75-300mm (used) to replace my Tamron of the same, and the cheapie Canon brand 50mm, as a placative reward to myself till then.

[ravnostic]

I think the cut-off effect has to do with the light coming in from the sides hitting the edge of the lens frame; smaller would be better in that regard, as the stars could be closer to the edge of the frame; other than that, ‘crop’ comes to mind…

[ravnostic]

Great stuff this week, gang. I’m looking forward to a stellar smackdown next week between Soosh, Ravnostic and Plamadude.

Yes, well; it all depends on where you get your ‘stars’. Most likely there will only be one extra-terrestrial entry from this camp–if that. Shooting with ‘pattern’ in mind gave me most of my choices for ‘stars’, as much as ‘winter’ did for ‘pattern’ (though my choices may not reflect that.)

[ravnostic]

And ravnostic, it looks like we have similar greenery around our homes. Or maybe I’m in your shrubbery, taking photos of your succulents? 🙂

Mine was taken at the Phoenix Botanical Gardens out by Papago Park. No succulents in my front yard. 🙄

[ravnostic]

Rav: I’ve seen plenty of images that made it past preview at 160-190k that later disappeared and I had to go searching for them for restores. It doesn’t happen every time, but it does happen with some frequency, just so you know.

Happen much with me? I know I had a website IP addy snafoo a couple months ago, on my server end–but if you’re needed to pull mine from the void with any frequency please say so, as I can host-for-web much smaller (but hate the sacrifice in quality, such as in a contest like this one).

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